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Offensive lines generate high-scoring seasons for Ryle, Cooper playoff teams


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Ryle ball carrier Bryce Ashley runs behind the blocking of Parker Bisek, No. 72, and Chase Ross, No. 71, in a game against Simon Kenton. (Photo by Lisa Smith)


The NKyTribune will be providing focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all of our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.

By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter

Rebuilding their offensive line was a priority in pre-season practice for the Ryle and Cooper coaching staffs last summer. Neither team had many starters returning up front, but they both developed the players they needed to move the ball effectively.

When the county rivals meet in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday, those offensive lines will play a key role in deciding the outcome, just like they did in Ryle’s 49-42 win during the regular season.

“You know it’s going to be a hard-fought football game on both sides,” said Ryle coach Mike Engler. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all if it comes down to the fourth quarter again.”

Ryle (11-0) is averaging 40.5 points and 435.1 yards per game behind an offensive line that includes center Kevin Weber, guards Chase Ross and Ryan Principata and tackles Parker Bisek and Jake Giddeon.

Ross is a third-year starter and Principata saw action as a substitute in every game last year when the Raist-e-football-plug-768x249ders’ only losses were to Cooper and Simon Kenton. The other three linemen had little or no varsity experience coming into this season.

“Personally, I think our offensive line is pretty good,” Engler said. “That’s one of the things we tried to improve on from last year because I thought Cooper and Simon Kenton both dominated us up front. So we had to get stronger and we had to get better.”

The new offensive line came together so well that Ryle is averaging 224 yards passing and 210 yards rushing this season. That balance makes it hard for any opponent to set up a defense that can stop the Raiders and their talented skill players.

Senior quarterback Tanner Morgan has passed for 2,376 yards and 22 touchdowns. Last week, he surpassed the 10,000-yard mark in career passing yards. The team’s leading rusher is junior Jake Chisholm with 1,344 and 17 TDs.

“One of the things that’s been overlooked this year is the play of our offensive line,” Engler said. “We’ve only given up six or seven (quarterback) sacks on the year. And Jake Chisholm is pretty good but he can’t do it without the offensive line that has done pretty dog gone well itself.”

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Cooper guard Clay Centers

Cooper (7-4) started the season with senior tackle Sander Roksvag as the only returning offensive lineman. He was joined by center Blake Lynn, tackle Austin Pressman and guards Austin Yeager and Clay Centers. The new combination worked out so well that the Jaguars are averaging 35.8 points and 421.7 yards per game. But there was a glitch in their offensive execution three weeks ago when they lost to Conner, 18-7.

“We came out pretty strong and then hit kind of a plateau where we weren’t as physical as we had been,” said Cooper coach Randy Borchers. “We kind of took a step back and, with us having a bye week, we really focused and challenged our offensive line to pick it up and become more physical like they did earlier in the year.”

Cooper whipped Lexington Bryan Station, 35-7, in a playoff game last week with a strong offensive performance led by quarterback Jarod Lonaker, who passed for 257 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards and two TDs.

That victory lifted coach Borchers’ outlook for Friday’s rematch with Ryle. In their earlier game, his offensive unit had some problems in the fourth quarter that helped the Raiders to come away with the victory.

“I think we did a really good job the first three quarters and then going into the fourth quarter they started bringing a little more pressure,” Borchers said. “We struggled with that a little bit and had a few breakdowns late in ball game that hurt us, so we know we really have to be prepared this week.”

Football playoff games

CLASS 1A
Louisville Holy Cross (7-4) at Beechwood (10-1), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Holy Cross (8-3) at Walton-Verona (7-4), 7:30 p.m.
Lloyd (6-5) at Newport Central Catholic (6-5), 7 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Dixie Heights (6-5) at Louisville Fern Creek (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
Louisville Doss (6-5) at Covington Catholic (8-3), 7 p.m.
CLASS 6A
Cooper (7-4) at Ryle (11-0), 7:30 p.m.
Conner (9-2) at Scott County (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
Campbell County (4-7) at Simon Kenton (10-1), 7 p.m.


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